It is known that polyphenylene ether resins, and particularly the 2,6-dialkyl substituted polyphenylene ether resins very often contain color bodies, generally yellow or yellowish as the resin is produced. For example, when polyphenylene ether is prepared by oxidation of 2,6-xylenol and then recovered from the reaction mixture by total isolation procedures such as steam precipitation, spray-drying or crumbing in hot water, the product is a deep yellow to orange in color due to the presence of quinones and other colored by-products in the reaction mixture. Moreover, these color bodies are carried through into the final shaped articles produced therefrom. Consequently, the color bodies are a major problem with respect to the utilization of total isolation procedures, such as spray drying, hot water crumbing, or steam precipitation which procedures are used to separate polyphenylene ether resins from their reaction solutions. In any event, the presence of the color bodies makes the polyphenylene ether resins and compositions including them undesirable for many uses, unless the color can be decreased or eliminated.
There exists, therefore, a need for providing polyphenylene ether resins or compositions including them which do not present the problems mentioned above with respect to color. The present invention fulfills that need.